Group 1: The Alkali Metals Flashcards
What do alkali metals react with?
Air and water
Name 3 properties of the group 1 metals
At room temp: soft solids
Low melting and boiling points which decrease down the group
They have low densities so lithium, sodium and potassium float on water
What do alkali metals produce when they react with water?
Metal hydroxide and hydrogen gas
Complete the equation:
Sodium + water —>
Sodium hydroxide + hydrogen
When compounds of alkali metals dissolve in water what do they form?
Solutions that are usually colourless
Going down group 1, does the reactivity increase of decrease?
Increase
How many electrons do group 1, alkali metals have on their outer shell?
1 electron
What happens when alkali metals lose an electron in a reaction?
They form ionic compounds in which their ions have a single positive charge (Na+)
Which group of elements do alkali metals react with and what do they form?
Group 7 metals called halogens to form SALTS that are white or colourless.
Complete the equation:
Sodium + Chlorine —–>
Sodium chloride
What does reactivity increase going down Group 1?
Because the outer electron is less strongly attracted to the nucleus as the number of occupied energy levels increase as the atoms get larger.
What are group 1 called?
The alkali metals
